Be on the lookout Facebook scams
Social media is becoming a popular way for scammers to get your information and your money. New schemes are popping up every day, so it is important to educate yourself and your loved ones on how to recognize a scam before your money ends up in a crook’s pocket.
Facebook Messenger is a hotbed for scammers. Fraudsters have found creative ways to get your personal information and your money.
Common Facebook scams for money or personal information include:
- Link sharing: Someone posing as a friend sends a message with a link, along with “Is that you?” or “Look what I found.” This entices you to click on the link, sending you to a fake Facebook login page where your credentials are captured.
- Facebook/Meta Violation: Scammers posing as Facebook or Meta send you a message telling you that your page has violated community standards, has had suspicious login attempts or your page will be deleted if you do not take action. Clicking the link will compromise your personal information.
- Romance: These typically start by the scammer telling a story of how they are widowed, divorced or in a bad marriage. They send fake photos and work to gain trust of the victim, then begin to ask for money for flights, visas, etc.
- Lottery: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. These scams claim you’ve hit the jackpot and can receive an advance on the funds. All you have to do is provide your personal information and bank account to get started.
- Donation: Most prevalent in times of crisis (war, hurricane, flood, etc), scammers will impersonate organizations or prominent figures to get donations. However instead of the money going to good use, it’s going to their pocket.
- Government Grants: With a promise to obtain free money in the form of a government grant, this sounds enticing to many who end up giving away their personal information and their money.
- Give me money, I’ll return even more!: This common scam starts by duplicating a friend’s account. They’ll tell you about a lucrative investment opportunity that’s sure to be a success for you too! All you have to do is pay them a certain amount and they promise, you’ll receive a hefty return…just like they did. This scam takes advantage of the familiarity of your Facebook connections and can result in a huge loss. If you’re unsure about something, contact your friend outside of Facebook and confirm it’s really them.
These are just a few of the many scams that are lurking out there on social media. If you think that your information may have been compromised, call our Customer Care Center at 717-436-2144.